


Zephyr Through Pine

by Shimmerwing Skyscale (sapphic_phoenix)



Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, mild violence because of the Inquest but only the bad guys die, takes place after the death of Mordremoth in Heart of Thorns (so spoilers for that i guess), the adventures of a newly-awakened sapling learning the ways of the world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:33:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24465769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphic_phoenix/pseuds/Shimmerwing%20Skyscale
Summary: The backstory of my newest salad, Zephyr. Will be updated whenever I write a new chapter.
Kudos: 2





	1. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Zephyr's info in my character carrd](https://shimmerwing-skyscale.carrd.co/#deleted)

The pod had garnered a lot of attention over the last weeks. From the time it grew on the Mother Tree’s boughs, it had been different from the others – smaller, and it glowed green instead of blue. The saplings, of course, noticed this and began to whisper among themselves. Was the bloom inside ill? Or was the pod empty? Or perhaps the sapling that emerged from it would have a magnificent magic.

At last, the pod trembled, and began to lower down to the ground. Wardens and saplings alike gathered around to witness the being that would emerge from the strange pod. Slowly, the pod began to open. A figure began to uncurl themself within it. Arms and legs stretched out, the figure slowly stood, wings unfurled and reached out to greet the sunlight.

One of the wardens gasped. “It’s a dragon!” he screamed. He hefted his sword. “It’s going to kill us!” He began to charge the sapling, still in their pod, but another warden stopped him.

“It’s a Sylvari,” they said sternly. “It has a right to grow.”

“Until it tries to enslave us like Mordremoth!” The man’s eyes were wide and frightened. A murmur of alarm went up among the saplings.

“We will give this one a chance.” The warden was firm, and his compatriot eventually nodded and sheathed his sword.

The sapling slowly climbed out of their pod, stretched their limbs, and looked around at the gathered crowd.

“Welcome to the grove, sapling,” the friendly warden said. “What is your name?”

The sapling tilted their head and did not answer.

“It is unusual for a sapling to be born with wings,” the warden observed.

The sapling did not respond.

“Can you understand me?”

The sapling did not respond.

The other saplings began whispering among themselves. Surely this new one would have learnt language from the Dream. Why could they not speak?

The warden sat down beside the sapling and patted the ground. The sapling sank to their knees and watched the warden with interest. “My name,” the warden said, “is Caden.” They pointed to themself. “Caden.” Then they pointed to the sapling. “And you are?”

The sapling mimicked their gesture but did not answer.

The other saplings whispered softly. The wardens watched curiously. Somewhere nearby, a moa screeched. And then, a breeze blew around them, ruffling the new sapling’s wings. They stood up, a smile lighting up their face, and spread their wings. The breeze lifted them onto the tips of their toes but was not strong enough to make them airborne. A wide grin spread across their face and they closed their eyes in delight.

“You like the wind, huh?” Caden said. “How about that, then? ‘Wind’. Is that a good name?”

The sapling tilted their head to consider this suggestion, then shook their head.

“Okay. How about… ‘Breeze’?” The sapling shook their head. “’Breeze through the Leaves’?” They shook their head again.

“How about ‘Gust’?” Another sapling piped up.

“Ooh, what about ‘Gale’?” Another voice chimed in.

The unnamed sapling considered these choices, appearing to turn them over in their mind, then shook their head. The breeze blew past them again, and they closed their eyes and lifted their face to its gentle caress.

“How about ‘Zephyr’?” Another sapling suggested.

The strange sapling’s eyes snapped open. They turned towards the voice and smiled.

“Zephyr, huh?” Caden said. “Does that name suit you?”

The sapling mouthed the name over and over. _Zephyr. Zephyr._ They flapped their wings excitedly.

“Well, Zephyr,” Caden got to their feet, “it’s nice to meet you.” They held out their hand towards the sapling, but Zephyr ran right past the hand and wrapped their arms around Caden. They laughed and returned the hug. “You’re welcome.”


	2. Finding A Voice

“What do you think of the new sapling?” The tall Sylvari asked her companion.

“I don’t like it,” the other one said. “It’s part dragon. It should be sent away before it can harm Mother any further. She hasn’t even recovered from the last dragon that Mordremoth sent her way.”

“But they’re so young, and they are part Sylvari as well. Surely we can teach them the ways of the civilised world and the teachings of Ventari.”

“They’re just as likely to turn to the Nightmare Court,” the short one scoffed. “They seem the type to want to deal as much damage and misery as possible.”

“What a dreadful thing to say!” the first one exclaimed. “It’s a good thing they didn’t hear you.”

Except that the sapling had indeed heard them. Unbeknownst to both of them, the object of their discussion was hiding high in the branches of a nearby tree. The ample leafage provided plenty of cover for them to hide and observe the passers-by. They listened in on conversations, trying to understand the verbal language that everyone else used with ease, and they understood a great deal of what was said. More than that, their mental senses were acutely aware of the emotions of every Sylvari near them, and they knew that most of the others distrusted and disliked them. They just didn’t know why.

“Dragon.” The others would hiss. “Fiend.” “Abomination.” They didn’t understand all those words, but they understood the emotions behind them. Fear. Anger. Pain.

Caden, the kind warden who had helped them when they first awakened, sat down with them to explain. “Many of our kind were lost to the Jungle Dragon before it was slain,” they said. “Our people are still grieving their loss and are also worried about the Mother Tree after the Dragon’s attack.”

A sense of familiarity stirred in Zephyr’s mind. “Mother Tree?” they mouthed.

“Mother is still too weak to entertain frequent visitors,” Caden explained, “but in your case I think it would be good for her to see you. Perhaps then we will understand how you came to be.”

The next day, after receiving word that the Pale Mother was awake and would see them, Caden took Zephyr to the Omphalos Chamber. Zephyr held Caden’s hand tightly as they approached the flickering Avatar of the Tree. She looked weary, but a smile graced her features anyway.

“Mother,” Caden said, “this is the strange one I told you about.”

“I see that,” the Mother replied. “Come closer, child.”

Zephyr stepped forward uncertainly.

“I felt Dragon corruption seeping into my roots and boughs when the Jungle Dragon was brought down,” the Mother said. “It took all of my energy to fight it away from the Dream. I tried to protect my children, but I could not eliminate the ancient magic completely. I felt it concentrate in one of my boughs and I hoped it wouldn’t harm my saplings. Yet here you stand, with Dragon wings, and Dragon magic flowing through you.” The Pale Mother looked at Caden. “Have they shown any indication of being able to wield that magic?”

“None at all, Mother.”

“Good. That is the last thing we would want to worry about.” She focused her gaze solely on Zephyr now. “You do not have the same connection to the Dream that most of my children have,” she said, “so I will have to get to know you the way the other races do. I understand your name is Zephyr?”

Zephyr nodded.

“How are you getting along with the others so far?”

Zephyr opened their mouth, but no sound came out. They snapped it shut and looked away.

“It is alright that you do not speak. Perhaps in time you can learn, or perhaps we can find another way to communicate. I have but two important questions for you. Do you want to harm any of my children?”

Zephyr looked up sharply and shook their head.

“Good. Now, do you wish to remain here with us, and live as one of us?”

Zephyr looked suddenly shy but nodded.

“Then here you may stay.” The Avatar flickered again. “I’m afraid I grow weary now. Caden will see you out.” The Avatar flickered and vanished.

“I’d say that went well,” Caden said as Zephyr walked back to them. “Mother has given her approval, and I will tell everyone else that you are someone to be welcomed, not feared.”

Zephyr watched their lips as they talked, and slowly, their hand came up to rest on Caden’s throat. Lightly, just the fingertips, and their other hand mimicked the gesture on their own throat.

“What are you doing?” Caden asked, bemused.

“Wha… What…” Zephyr frowned, trying to force words out of their mouth. “What…”

“Are you trying to learn to speak?”

Zephyr nodded.

Caden smiled and put their arm around Zephyr. “Come sit with me, and we can practice all day.”


	3. To Find Adventure

Swiftly, almost effortlessly, Zephyr dodged and leapt in circles around the target dummy, slashing and stabbing at it with their daggers. The target jostled under their attacks, and finally toppled over.

“Excellent. Excellent!” Their mentor applauded and stepped forward. “I think you have the makings of a fine thief.”

Zephyr smiled and handed back the daggers they had borrowed.

“And your thieving skills are quite good too.” Their mentor held out their hand. Zephyr rolled their eyes and handed over the notebook she had pickpocketed at the beginning of their lesson. “You should see a requisitioner now to get yourself some daggers, or a sword. You show great promise, young one.” With a pat on the shoulder, their mentor walked on to greet their next student.

Caden was waiting for them. “How was training?” they asked.

Zephyr grinned and pointed proudly at themself with their thumb. “Thief!” they said.

“Are you ready to get your own weapons now?”

Zephyr nodded enthusiastically.

“Well, come with me and we’ll see about getting you some good blades.” They walked into the Grove and towards Dreamer’s Terrace. “I asked someone to meet with us to let you choose your first blades. She grows them specially for Sylvari. They are not thorns from the Pale Tree like firstborn Trahearne was lucky enough to wield, but they are grown and shaped here in the Grove by a talented Grower and weaponsmith. Here she is now.”

A tall Sylvari waved from near the entrance to the Terrace. Zephyr saw, laid carefully on the ground around her, several leafy swords and daggers.

“You like them?” the strange Sylvari asked. “I have many of these Verdant weapons, and I’ve recently started making look-alike designs based on Caladbolg, Trahearne’s sword.” Zephyr picked up a florally sword and held it in their hands, studying it closely. It was a hefty weapon, razor-sharp on the blade’s edges, with a naturally-curled handle and hilt. They swung it experimentally. It sliced through the air with a satisfying swoosh.

“You like that one?” Caden asked.

Zephyr nodded. They picked up a dagger in their off hand and spun in place, lashing out with both blades. “I like!” they said.

“Consider it a gift from me to you,” Caden smiled, handing over some coins to the weaponsmith.

Zephyr sheathed the blades and attached them to their belt. “Thank you,” they said to both of the other two Sylvari.

“Now you’re ready to begin your big adventure,” the smith said excitedly.

Zephyr cocked their head.

“You’re ready to go explore the world now, beyond the Grove,” Caden said.

Zephyr’s wings fluttered excitedly, and they jumped up and down happily. Then they took off running, up the winding ramps and down the pathway towards the exit from the Grove. The world was theirs to discover now. The adventure was just beginning.


	4. A New Friend

Thunder cracked and lightning split the night sky above Zephyr as they flew through the forest. They flapped their wings faster, scanning the ground for a place to shelter from the deluge. Rain pelted them from above and they shook their head to clear their eyes of the gathering droplets.

Suddenly, they heard a sound nearby. It was the wailing cry of an animal in distress. Zephyr flapped to a halt and turned towards where the sound had come from. They heard it again. Without a moment of hesitation, they flew off towards the sound.

A flash of lightning lit up the world around them, and Zephyr saw the source of the noise. It was a stag, lying on the ground with one of its legs at an awkward angle. It raised its head and called out again in pain and fear.

Zephyr dropped to the ground and approached it slowly. “No fear,” they said to the stag. “I help.” The stag’s breathing grew faster and more erratic as they approached. “Is alright,” they crooned to the animal. “Is okay.” They knelt down beside the creature and examined its ailing leg. They ran their hand down the creature’s leg until they felt a sharp break, and the stag pulled away, crying in pain. They snuggled up close to the steed and stretched out a wing over its head. “We wait together,” they whispered.

The stag laid its head down on the ground, sensing Zephyr’s kindness. Zephyr stroked the back of its neck gently and settled down to wait for the dawn.

When the sun came up and the rain finally ceased, Zephyr helped the stag to its feet and together they hobbled towards the nearest village.

“Need mender!” they cried out as they found some people.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Worried villagers hovered nearby, observing the strange winged figure and the stag with magnificent antlers.

“I’m a mender,” someone said. They came close and knelt down beside the stag, examining its leg. “I can fix this,” they said. “You see, this is a Fern Deer. They’re a lot rarer than Fern Hounds, but because they came from the Mother Tree, I can regrow its leg good as new.” They set the broken leg and rubbed it gently with their fingertips, and magic began to sparkle around it. When the mender took their hands away, the leg looked as though it had never been broken.

The stag tested its weight on the leg, and the leg held.

Zephyr patted the stag, happy that it was now healed. The stag bellowed and rubbed its head against them. “Go now,” they said. The stag did not move. “You healed. You go.” Zephyr motioned to shoo it away, but the stag merely bumped its head against her.

“I think it wants to stay with you now,” the mender said. “You’re lucky. Once you win a Fern Deer’s trust, it will go anywhere with you. Take good care of it now.”

Zephyr looked up at the gentle beast. “We go… together?” they asked it. The stag bowed down to her. Zephyr stroked its back and then climbed up astride it. The stag stood and bellowed again. “We go together,” Zephyr said with a smile. They had finally made a friend.


	5. A Dangerous Place

Everywhere they went throughout Caledon Forest, people were polite but distant. Zephyr heard whispers constantly behind their back. “Is that the half-dragon sapling? Is that the sprout that came from Mordremoth? They’re so strange! They’re acting like they’re Sylvari, but are they really one of us? I hope they aren’t.”

They put extra effort into helping everyone they met, but they were constantly aware of the eyes watching them. Nothing felt like it was enough. They felt alienated from their own kind.

At Mabon Market, they met a jeweller who agreed to trade with them. Zephyr gave them the raw materials they had gathered during their travels and the jeweller crafted a special ring for them with an enchantment to hide their wings. “Nothing beats Mesmer magic,” the jeweller winked.

Looking now like an ordinary Sylvari, Zephyr was finally free to explore unhindered. Astride their loyal Fern Deer, whom they named “Fleet of Foot, Sweet of Soul” they strolled through Caledon Forest, observing the scenery. They wandered through the trees, and around nearby villages, heading in a vaguely northerly direction.

At one point, they stopped to let Fleet the deer drink at a stream. While they were waiting, a band of Asura came upon them, also travelling north.

“Hail, Sylvari! That’s a nice stag you are with,” one of them greeted the pair. “Whereabouts are you travelling to?”

“I don’t know,” Zephyr responded. “Just travelling.”

“Well, come with us, then!” One of the Asura said. “We can journey together. We’re travelling back to our base in the Brisban Wildlands. Ever been there?”

Zephyr shook their head.

“Well, come with us! It’s a lovely place to explore.”

Zephyr looked at Fleet and shrugged. Then she nodded to the Asura.

The group walked together along the rocky road and through the swamp. The Asura chatted pleasantly all the while, not seeming to mind Zephyr’s lack of words. Most of their talk was scientific in nature anyway, discussing tests and theories that Zephyr couldn’t make heads or tails of. Eventually they left the swamp behind and traversed a pleasant, lightly-wooded area with another Sylvari village.

One of the Asura turned to grin at Zephyr. “Welcome to the Brisban Wildlands,” they said. “Our lab is nearby. Won’t you come see it? We’d love to have you.”

Zephyr nodded and followed the group. They crossed a river and passed several artificial buildings that, to Zephyr’s wide eyes, looked nothing like the natural structures that the Sylvari created. They were walking along a stretch of plain when they were approached by the largest golem Zephyr had ever seen.

“State – your – identity,” it said.

“Us? Why, we are but humble merchants,” the lead Asura said. “Just passing by. We’re no threat to you.”

“Are – you – sure – you – are – not – Inquest?” the golem asked.

The Asura gasped dramatically. “Why, no! Of course not! How dare you suggest such a thing?”

“Very well,” the golem said. “You – may – pass. Have – a – nice – day.” And the golem walked away.

“Just keep walking calmly, casually…” the lead Asura said. Everyone walked forward slowly. “The lab’s almost in sight. Now, get ready everyone. And… RUN!”

One of the Asura grabbed Zephyr’s hand and ran forward. Zephyr did their best to keep up, with Fleet following close behind.

They ran into a large building with turrets out the front. Zephyr glanced behind them and saw two large golems giving chase, but they got safely inside before the golems could catch up.

“Now, to examine our greatest prize – a test subject the likes of which the Inquest has never had before.” The lead Asura advanced on Zephyr with a menacing grin.

“What is… ‘Inquest’?” Zephyr asked, a knot of fear forming inside them.

“The Inquest, my dear, is the greatest conglomeration of scientific minds to ever grace the surface of Tyria,” the Asura said. “We _rule_ the scientific world because we go where others are afraid to tread, and we answer the questions others are too afraid to ask. _We_ are the Inquest. And your stay with us has only just begun. Get them!”

Small, but fierce hands grabbed onto Zephyr’s arms and dragged them into a cell. They tried to fight back but were outnumbered and overpowered. Fleet sensed their distress and ran to aid them, but the Inquest simply shoved him into the cell as well and activated the magical barrier. Fleet ran headfirst into the barrier to try and escape, but the powerful energy field knocked him backwards. Zephyr ran to calm him before he could try again.

“If that animal dies, it’s no concern of ours,” one of the Asura said disdainfully. “We want you, and you alone."

“Why?” Zephyr asked.

“Because, you’re rather special. And no one understands you and how you came to be. So we have a lot of questions to answer, and you’d better just sit still like a good little shrub and let us do our work.”

Zephyr gulped. So far, the Brisban Wildlands was turning out to be a very dangerous place indeed.


	6. Betrayed!

“Now, Sylvari, if that’s what you really are…” The Asura standing before them smiled a sharp-toothed grin. “Take off that magical ring so we can see you as you are.”

Zephyr raised their chin and stood tall.

“I SAID TAKE THAT THING OFF!” The Asura screamed.

Zephyr did not move.

The Asura sighed. “Very well, I’ll have someone do it for you. You there! Grab that weapon and come here.” Another Asura joined the first, holding an imposing rifle. “Get in there, stun them both, and get the ring off our test subject. It’s time to begin.”

The magical barrier went down.

Instantly, Fleet and Zephyr launched themselves at the two Asura in a fury. But before they could even land a blow on either of them, the second Asura fired their weapon and both stag and Sylvari alike fell heavily to the ground. Zephyr tried to flex their limbs, to sit up, to move at all, but found they had no control over their body.

The magical ring was plucked from their hand and Zephyr heard a shimmering sound as the Mesmer spell deactivated.

“Beautiful. Just beautiful!” the lead Asura crowed. “We got them! We got the dragon creature!” He approached Zephyr then with a strange device in his hand. “This will hurt,” he said, then he jabbed it against their arm.

A needle pierced into their body with a white-hot pain. An involuntary scream echoed in Zephyr’s throat. Their vision blurred and turned white, then slowly cleared again to show the Asura standing over them with a large syringe filled with a swirling, milky-green substance.

“Now for the tests!” he said cheerfully. He and his companion disappeared from Zephyr’s vision and they heard the shimmering of the magical barrier going back up. They heard the beeping and whirring sounds of magitech at work and the occasional humming from a happy Asura.

Zephyr lay still, their arm aching and their body uncooperative. They closed their eyes and retreated deep into their mind. They wanted this to stop! They didn’t like being helpless. They didn’t like being stabbed with strange objects. They didn’t like being at the mercy of these Asura, these… ‘Inquest’. A rage began to build from deep within them, a rage that blotted out every ounce of reasoning within them and consumed their entire soul. They felt a fire begin to burn within them that stormed bigger and brighter until they snapped their eyes open again, ready to face the threat.

With a strength they didn’t know they could possess, they forced their limbs into obedience and stood up from the ground.

One of the Asura noticed. “Hey, I thought they should be immobilized for… What in the Alchemy?”

As Zephyr stood and glared at the gathering Asura, vines began to grow around them, piercing through the concrete ground and twisting their way around them. Zephyr shot out a hand to point at the Asura closest to them, and vines began to sprout from the ground around them, twisting around their body and squeezing tightly.

“Alright, that’s enough!” The lead Asura stomped over. “Release him now!”

Zephyr’s eyes darkened and vines began to shoot up around the second Asura. The vines grew and twisted and squeezed tightly. The Asura thrashed about but could not free himself. The vines lifted him up off his feet, then began bashing him into the ground again, and again, and again. The remaining Asura screamed and ran away. Both the captives in the vines were struggling for their lives, but it was no use. One of them was beaten into the ground until he finally stopped moving, and the vines around the other one’s throat squeezed until he, too, stopped struggling and stood limp in the vines’ grasp.

Then a new figure appeared. This one was tall, neither Sylvari nor Asura, with a leather coat and long hair and a small dragon-like creature by their side. They approached slowly, their hands raised in a placating gesture.

“I’m a friend,” they said. “I want to help you.”

Could they really be trusted, after the Asura had tricked them and been so cruel? They looked deeply into the strange one’s eyes but saw no malice there. They also saw no fear.

“Please,” the strange one said. “Let me help you.”

Zephyr relaxed her stance. The vines withered and died along with the fire inside them.

“Who… are… you?” they forced their dry throat to say.

The stranger smiled warmly at them. “I’m the Pact Commander.”


	7. Rescued

The magical barrier shimmered and dissolved as the Pact Commander pushed some buttons on a nearby data terminal. Zephyr knelt down beside their stag, stroking his cheek as he lay on the ground, panting with fear.

“You got yourself in quite a mess,” the Commander observed. “I’m Danica, by the way. Danica Darkfury. What’s your name?”

Zephyr looked up at them, then at the animal by the Commander's side. They pointed to the creature. It had wings like them yet did not seem to have their intelligence.

“Oh, Sizzle? He’s my good little wyvern buddy.” The Commander bent down to pet the wyvern affectionately. It leaned into their touch. “Are you okay?” they asked Zephyr.

Zephyr nodded.

“I assume those were Inquest who were holding you captive.”

Zephyr nodded again.

“Despicable creatures. Looks like you could take care of yourself though. That magic… that was dragon magic, wasn’t it?”

Zephyr looked up sharply. Surely this person wasn’t going to try and capture them too, were they?

“Hey, Taimi,” the Commander said, seemingly to the air. “I found the Sylvari-dragon. They got into a scrape with Inquest, but they’re alright now.”

A tinny voice appeared out of nowhere, and Zephyr backed up quickly. _“Oh, good! And were we right? Is it really Mordremoth’s magic?”_

“Seems like it. She was using… Sorry, hold on.” The Commander turned back to Zephyr. “What’s your pronoun?” Zephyr blinked. “What gender are you?” Zephyr blinked again. The Commander sighed. “Okay. _They_ were using some kind of nature magic, controlling vines and so forth. Sure seemed like Mordremoth to me.”

_“That just confirms our theory about the dragons’ magic leaking out into the world when they die! So… what do we do for this… half-dragon creature?”_

“We help them as best we can,” the Commander replied. “Right now, we’ve got to get out of this Inquest lab before they come back.”

_“Right. I’ll let you go then. But, oh! This is so exciting! I’d love to meet your new friend. Please promise I can meet them!”_

“Goodbye, Taimi.”

The Commander knelt down and held out their hand. “Come with me,” they said. “I’ll bring you somewhere safe.”

Zephyr stood slowly, dragging Fleet up to stand on his feet. They walked past the Commander and began searching the lab.

“What are you looking for?”

They did not answer. Zephyr merely continued searching until they found their ring and then they pounced on it and slid it triumphantly onto their finger. Their wings vanished.

The Commander raised an eyebrow. “Neat trick.”

Zephyr walked to the Commander, slid their hand into the Commander’s hand, then looked up at them and blinked.

“Ready to go?”

Zephyr nodded.

“Okay. Back to the Grove we go.”

The two adventurers, with their two pets following close behind, set out to return to the gentle boughs of the Grove.


End file.
